St Mirren boss sends Jambos 'fear' warning
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson insists his side will play without fear as they face Europa League-chasing Hearts with the chance of making club history.
Victory at home to the Jambos today will see St Mirren secure a top-six finish ahead of the split for consecutive years for the first time since 1984/85. The Saints currently sit fifth, but in heading to Celtic on the final weekend, face a massive challenge in taking anything from their final fixture before the Scottish Premiership splits into top and bottom halves.
It makes the visit of Hearts to Paisley all the more important, but Steven Naismith’s side have plenty to play for, too, needing to get as many points on the board before the split in order to strengthen their European hopes. Nonetheless, Robinson remains confident his side can keep all three points at home, and insists they will come out swinging.
“We’re looking forward to it, we can’t wait,” Robinson enthused. “We’re going to have a big crowd; the conditions might not be great but the support will come out and back us again.
“In our eyes we have earned the right to be there. We are playing against a very good Hearts side – to get that far ahead in third is a fantastic achievement for them. But it is a game we believe we can take something from and guarantee our place in the top six.
“If you look at the history – and I know expectation levels have risen massively here – we haven’t had consecutive top-six finishes for 39 years, so that tells you it’s not a habit and shouldn’t be something that is expected. But it is a credit to this group of players and staff that we have got ourselves into this position to raise expectations. We have to embrace it and that’s what we want to do. We don’t go into the game with any fear, and it is something we are going to enjoy.”
Hearts are guaranteed a top-six finish ahead of the split, but Naismith’s side have only won one of their last five and momentum will be key ahead of the season’s final five matches once the table is divided.